Feature:

Disruptive forces in Java: Is Scala the new Spring framework?

Without a doubt, the most disruptive element to have hit the enterprise Java ecosystem in the
past ten years was SpringSource, or
more specifically, Rod
Johnson and his panache for promoting dependency injection (DI) along with his call to
abandon the big name application servers in favor of running your lightweight, EJB-free
applications on little more than a Web container such as Tomcat.

But while Rod Johnson's ideas were revolutionary in 2004, the ideas behind DI and aspect
oriented programming now seem standard and commonplace, especially now that many of the practices
Rod was promoting through the
Spring framework are now part and parcel of the latest Java EE spec.

But excitement over Spring was "so 2004." Who and what will be the next disruptive force in the
enterprise Java computing landscape?

Looking for the next disruptive force

There are always new technologies and interesting approaches to application design that keep the
industry dynamic. Cloud computing is all the rage, but despite the benefits of elasticity and
scalability that the PaaS and SaaS offerings
provide, these technologies don't fundamentally change how applications get developed.

Mobile
computing and the BYOD mentality
has changed how applications are delivered, but the underlying approach to application development
and design has largely remained the same. PaaS, SaaS, mobile computing, the Android OS and other
new prospects make enterprise computing more interesting and fun. However, they are not disruptive
forces affecting Java developers.

Perhaps the following conjecture is wrong, and perhaps the whole trend towards peripheral JVM
languages is just a flash in the pan, but if we're thinking about disruptive forces about to hit
the Java computing landscape, is it possible that Martin Odersky is the new Rod Johnson, and Typesafe is the new SpringSource?

There's no question that the move towards peripheral JVM languages
such as Scala and Cloujure is a major departure from the norm, not unlike the switch many
developers made when they abandoned their EJBs in deference to the POJO-based Spring
framework. But to truly be a disruptive force in the industry, being different isn't enough:
there has to be a massive popular adoption of the technology. Is a mass movement towards
Scala, Akka and Play in store in the
near future?

Expanding the user-base

It's unclear what Typesafe has to do to get their programming stack to appeal heavily to the
mainstream. If the first step is having a dedicated and vocal user base, then they certainly have
that point covered. Being trapped in a room with Scala developers is like being trapped in a room
with Amway salesmen – you never hear the end of how great it is, and you want desperately to get
away from them. But to go mainstream, Typesafe has to appeal to more than just its early
adopters.

How they do that is anyone's guess, but the August 22nd announcement from Typesafe of a $14 million dollar cash
injection will no doubt help. Hopefully a good chunk of that will go into documentation,
tutorials and an expansion of the knowledge base. Early adopters don't mind exploring the software
and posting questions on StackOverflow, but if Scala and Play are to really go mainstream, Typesafe
needs to take the pain out of learning this new approach to application development.

The enterprise Java community has been coasting on its laurels for too long now. It's time for a
disruptive event that will change how programs are designed, and how applications target the Java
Virtual Machine. Will Typesafe, with Scala, Akka, the Play framework and anything else they either
develop or acquire with this new $14 million dollars in funding be the disruptive
technology that shakes up the Java landscape? Only time will tell, but it's certainly has the
potential.

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